This blog passed another milestone yesterday, reaching seven million views.
In recent years it’s averaged approx 1 million views per year but this time it’s only taken seven months to get from six million all the way to seven million views.
Here’s the photograph that gets published here every time a new milestone is reached. This is a golden eagle that was found dead on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park in 2006. It had been illegally poisoned. It epitomises everything in its pitiful, poignant, senselessness. [Photo by RSPB]
Have attitudes changed since 2006?
No.
This white-tailed eagle was found dead on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park in 2020. It, too, had been illegally poisoned. [Photo by Police Scotland]
I’m often asked what motivated me to start this blog and what motivates me to continue. These two photographs say it better than I ever could.
Thank you to everyone who supports and contributes to this blog, particularly those behind the scenes. It isn’t a pleasure to write it but it is enormously rewarding to see its increasing reach.
Thank you.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Congratulations and continue your memorable work. We are almost there in Scotland and hopefully England will follow.
Tje finest defence of Raptors in the world.f Never stop until it’s ovet.
Heart breaking- but keep going with your wonderful work. We’ll get there one day.
I want to say congratulations but to be honest I wish there were no blogs like this to post , in my group we keep all your blogs in a file for every year – just so much sad news , it is always one of the biggest files sadly , this just should not be , one day let us hope Ruth you can stop blogging but sadly I fear not very soon . Well done on all the work you do
Thank you for your work. You are making a real difference highlighting the lies and dishonesty around solving this crisis. I have made my own complaints to some of the National Park bodies and Estates you mentioned. If you send me a contact email I can fwd to you for publication if desired.
Thank you. I have learnt so much, which has given me a greater understanding of the injustice wildlife suffers not only at the hands of criminals but by a system that offers so little proper protection. Sadly until “speciesism” becomes as intolerable in society as racism or sexism your work will be never ending….and even then there will always be those who persist in criminal behaviour and need to be brought to justice. Best wishes.
Thank you Ruth, your love for raptors and focused determination to succeed in ending their persecution comes over in all your blogs!
A superb effort and thank you to everyone who puts their shoulder to the wheel.
Publication, publication and more publication ………. endlessly ! Pinpoint the rotters and pile it on.
All the people involved in the foul persecution business from those that do the dirty work on the ground up to the politicos who fail to provide the means to eradicate the hellish activities cannot survive if they are kept in the spotlight.
This blog provides much of the lumens that exposes those that lurk in the darkness.
There should be no need whatsoever or your blog Ruth, but thankfully it is there.
When the day comes, and it will, when the issue isn’t pole trapped buzzards, poisoned red kites or ‘disappearing’ hen harriers, but the best way of putting up nest boxes for barn owls or getting schoolkids ‘into’ raptors – what in any sane society should be the main business – then that will in no small way be down to you and this blog. Many thanks for your commitment, hard work and that really biting humour of yours.
Congratulations on your hard work and perseverance. It just goes to show how important your blog is in raising awareness and outrage!
Just goes to show what a valuable resource this blog is. It’s so easy to access it and I often tell people to look it up to learn more about the atrocities committed in our countryside in the interests of so-called ‘sport’. Very well done Ruth and the support team. Superb job.
Great Stuff. Thank You!
Thank you Ruth for your never ending work in exposing just what happens out of sight on our uplands and lowlands by those who consider themselves (in their words) guardians of the countryside. Or as it was once put doctors and nurses who look after the countryside.
They should get themselves into our hospitals today to see what real medics do for our population.
Lang mae yur lum reek…
Thank you for continuing to bear the standard in the fight to bring the disgraceful persecution of raptors to an end. It is to the UK’s shame that such a large proportion of your efforts are still required to fight this.
7 million views that is a hell of a lot of people informed, even though many like me come back many times. One might say one helluva public service, because it is just that few if any others would tell the whole of this sad story. Well done Ruth and all the collaborators, many of us know not only is it a great deal of work, research and digging often by FOI but it is in the face of a near constant barrage of unpleasantness, threats and the like from those who wish the stories to remain unheard. Well done a truly heroic effort by a real raptor hero.
Thank you. Please keep up your great work.
Thank you for all your dogged hard work in raising awareness , it is obviously working . One day may a similar blog help the persecution of Corvids , again mostly attributed to the shooting fraternity
Your pictures do make a statement, just like it’s so hard to explain to those you highlight these apex predators might actually be doing them a favour.
Congratulations and thank you.
Taught me so much on a personal level , keep up this brilliant work chipping away . Thank You .
Thank you so much for all the work you all put into this Blog. It’s such a vital resource where everyone can access accurate info. Another little donation to Wild Justice on the way in lieu of a cake!
Congratulations for all your hard work. It is impossible to overestimate how important your blog is.
You are a quite remarkable and inspiring person. Your hard work is truly appreciated. Thank you. 🙂👍
Spot on!
Thank you Ruth for all your hard work. There is a rising tide of revulsion against the dreadful practices of the shooting fraternity. It is pleasing to note that mainstream journalists such as Alex Thomson of Channel 4 are starting to take up the cause and promote it to a wider audience. I long for the day when your blog is no longer required until then keep on doing a great job.
It’s good to know that your blog is getting increased exposure. Thank you for all the hard work that you do as I’m sure it will achieve hard positive results over time.
Humbling to think that photograph has had several million views. When it was taken I was standing beside it, near the end of a 25 year career of trying to stop this disgusting criminality and here we are 15 years later and it still carries on – but at least with the internet and blogs like this, I dont still feel like Im in a small bubble of “those in the know”. To quote another angry group [from 1968 USA] “The whole world is watching”..Not before time. ..Well done Ruth and your team.
Go TEAM INDEFATIGABLE!
Hard-work, truth & determination can & will prevail … eventually!
Congratulations on this milestone but also the fantastic profile you and your team have given to exposing the criminality surrounding and appearing to underpin driven grouse shooting. The end will come ….
Thank you Ruth for all you and your team do, stay strong and stay safe.
Very informative and interesting blog that I enjoy. I congratulate you and your friends. Really its about tribes and culture partly ?….Can we have some bullet points for the Parliamentary debate please ? I am particularly curious as to the amount of subsidy that these shooting estates receive…?? Do you have any figures ? Answers on a post card to….
Thank you – please keep going – your work is greatly appreciated and important.